Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 6 Issue 3 | Page 21

Finding Your Niche (Cont’d)

question: Do I have the ability and mind-set to write compelling fantasy? Can I
conjure all of the cultures, environments, inventions, characters, new languages and
other necessary details in a way that will make my novel appeal to fantasy
aficionados?
Not everyone is skilled enough in this genre or imaginative in the way that results
in a must-read fantasy. The same principle applies to many other genres. How about
the wannabe mystery writer who can’t figure out how to get his victim out of a room
with a door on every wall? Clearly, creating a page-turning mystery isn’t his or her
thing.
In a nutshell, it probably isn’t a good practice to take your amazing inspiration for
a story and turn it into something in a genre you have no talent or background for
executing.
So What’s My Niche?
As writers there are things we are drawn to and really shine at. Working within
those parameters it’s not hard to figure out what kind of stories you should be
writing. For me one niche is mystery novels. I love working out the twists and turns
and working in red herrings and clues along the way. I currently have fourteen
novels in publication—the majority of them mysteries. But I also love writing short
stories and have also now co-authored true crime memoirs. My background in
writing mystery fiction has been a real help in working with my co-authors.
Short stories are generally a bit harder to sell, but you can look for magazines
and anthologies for your work. I love the instant gratification of a short story,
although in many ways they are harder to write than a novel. You must stay on point
and write tight with only a limited number of words. Some of my ideas were best
suited to short stories and others to novels. Regardless of the genre, determine how
your idea is best presented—novel, novella or short story, then picture it almost like
a mental movie and develop it in that direction.
The niche might also involve which point of view to use. (Be sure to read Cindy
Davis’ article about using Deep Point of View in this issue.) For some plots and
genres the logical choice is omniscient or third person. For others it is first person.
Some authors prefer to write in present tense, others in past tense. Sometimes it’s a
combination.
Several years ago I’d finished a pair of novels in present tense and was practically
knocked off my feet when the publisher said, “I love it but we don’t publish anything
written in present tense.” I suppose I could have shopped them around, but instead
rewrote them in past tense and they were published.

WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE

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MAY - JUNE 2016